Red Knots nest in the high arctic tundra. Large numbers of these shorebirds fly south to winter along the coast of Florida. They stop to feed and rest in Mid Pinellas beaches each Spring and Fall. In Spring they often stop on the shores of Delaware Bay to eat Horseshoe Crab eggs before flying nonstop to their northern breeding grounds.Conservationists are concerned that overfishing of horseshoe crabs is depleting the food supply of these birds at a time when they need to build up their fat reserves.

If you watch closely, you will find that some of these shorebirds are banded. I use binoculars or a scope to help me record information about the bands. Banders use this information to track the birds' movements.